Ancistrus is a genus of nocturnal freshwater fish in the family Loricariidae of order Siluriformes, native to freshwater habitats in South America and Panama. Fish of this genus are common in the aquarium trade where they are known as bushynose or bristlenose catfish. In the aquarium hobby they are often referred to as bushynose or bristlenose plecos instead, but this may lead to confusion as "pleco" usually is used for Hypostomus plecostomus and its allies and is often used as a catchall term for any loricariids remotely resembling that species.
Ancistrus maculatus is a tropical fish belonging to the armored catfish family (Loricariidae). The name Ancistrus is derived from the Greek word meaning "hook", akgistron, which refers to the interopercular odontodes found in members of the genus. This fish has the characteristic armored plates of its family and can reach 11.8 cm in standard length when fully grown.
Ancistrus macrophthalmus is a species of catfish in the family Loricariidae. It is native to South America, where it occurs in the Orinoco River and its lower tributaries in Venezuela. The species reaches 7.9 cm SL. It is occasionally seen in the aquarium trade, where it is one of multiple species sometimes referred to as "medusa plecos".
Ancistrus sericeus is a species of catfish in the family Loricariidae. It is native to South America, where it occurs in the basin of the Ampiyacu River, a tributary of the Amazon River, in Peru. The species reaches 5 cm SL.
Ancistrus chagresi is a species of catfish in the family Loricariidae. It is native to Central America, where it occurs near the Panama Canal in the basins of the Chagres River, the Chorrera River, and the Gatún River. The species reaches 19.5 cm SL.
Ancistrus jataiensis is a species of catfish in the family Loricariidae. It is a freshwater species native to South America, where it is only known from córrego Jataí, which is a small tributary of the Vermelho River in the Tocantins River basin in Brazil. The species reaches 5.4 cm SL.
Ancistrus stigmaticus is a species of catfish in the family Loricariidae. It is native to South America, where it occurs in the Araguaia River basin in Brazil. The species reaches 15.2 cm SL.
Ancistrus parecis is a species of catfish in the family Loricariidae. It is native to South America, where it occurs in the Tapajós River basin in Brazil. Its specific epithet refers to the Parecis Plateau, where the type specimen was collected. The species reaches 6 cm SL.
Ancistrus amaris is a species of catfish in the family Loricariidae. It is native to South America, where it occurs in the Orinoco River and Apure River basins in Venezuela. The species reaches at least 11.57 cm SL and was described in 2019 by Lesley S. de Souza of the Field Museum of Natural History, Donald C. Taphorn of the Royal Ontario Museum, and Jonathan Armbruster of Auburn University alongside five other species of Ancistrus. FishBase does not list this species.
Ancistrus greeni is a species of catfish in the family Loricariidae. It is native to South America, where it occurs in the Madre de Dios River and Inambari River basins in Peru. The species reaches 6.5 cm in total length.
Ancistrus saudades is a species of catfish in the family Loricariidae. It is native to South America, where it occurs in the basins of the Takutu River, the Ventuari River, the Caroní River, and the Caura River in Guyana, Venezuela, and Brazil. The species reaches at least 10.75 cm SL and was described in 2019 by Lesley S. de Souza of the Field Museum of Natural History, Donald C. Taphorn of the Royal Ontario Museum, and Jonathan Armbruster of Auburn University alongside five other species of Ancistrus. FishBase does not list this species.
Ancistrus bodenhameri is a species of catfish in the family Loricariidae. It is native to South America, where it occurs in tributaries of Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela. The species reaches 11.4 cm SL.
Ancistrus yutajae is a species of catfish in the family Loricariidae. It is native to South America, where it occurs only in the Yutajé River in Venezuela. The species reaches at least 8.28 cm SL and was described in 2019 by Lesley S. de Souza of the Field Museum of Natural History, Donald C. Taphorn of the Royal Ontario Museum, and Jonathan Armbruster of Auburn University alongside five other species of Ancistrus. FishBase does not list this species.
Ancistrus montanus is a species of catfish in the family Loricariidae. It is native to South America, where it occurs in high-altitude freshwater environments, with the type specimen being collected from an elevation of around 457 m, in the Beni River basin in the upper Madeira River drainage in Bolivia. The species reaches 9.2 cm SL.
Ancistrus heterorhynchus is a species of catfish in the family Loricariidae. It is native to South America, where it occurs in the Inambari River basin, which is part of the Madre de Dios River drainage in Peru. The species reaches 6.3 cm SL and is known to inhabit high-altitude areas.
Ancistrus malacops is a species of catfish in the family Loricariidae. It is a freshwater fish native to South America, where it occurs in the Ampiyacu River basin in Peru. FishBase states that the species reaches 7.7 cm SL, although larger specimens, including one of 11.78 cm SL from the Gustavo Orcés V. Natural History Museum in Quito, Ecuador, are known.
Ancistrus maracasae is a species of catfish in the family Loricariidae. It is a freshwater fish native to the Caribbean, where it occurs in the basin of the Maracas River, which is a major tributary of the Caroni River in Trinidad and Tobago, indicating that it is endemic to the island of Trinidad. The species reaches 8.3 cm SL.
Ancistrus marcapatae is a species of catfish in the family Loricariidae. It is native to South America, where it occurs in the Inambari River basin, which is part of the Madeira River drainage in Peru. The species reaches 12.4 cm in total length.
Ancistrus occloi is a species of catfish in the family Loricariidae. It is a freshwater fish native to South America, where it occurs in the Urubamba River basin in Peru. The species reaches 11.6 cm SL and is noted to inhabit high-altitude areas.
Ancistrus tolima is a species of catfish in the family Loricariidae. It is native to South America, where it occurs in the Magdalena River drainage, which is part of the Prado River basin in Colombia. The species reaches 7.7 cm SL. Its specific epithet is a reference to Colombia's Tolima Department, which contains the type locality of the species.
